The compound is very unstable, but can be isolated as an ester of benzhydrol by reacting the methanol extract of Pleurocybella mushrooms with diphenyldiazomethane.

[1] The compound is synthesized by members of the fungal kingdom as an offshoot of valine biosynthesis, involving an oxygenase that uses α-ketoglutaric acid and iron (II) ions as cofactors.

The hydroxyl group of the ring opened compound is then oxidized to a carboxylic acid using a mix of TEMPO, sodium chlorite, and PIDA dissolved in acetonitrile.

This carboxylic acid is then reacted with diazomethane in diethyl ether to form the methyl ester.

The affected individuals mainly suffered from chronic kidney failure, which explains why the mushrooms can often be consumed without any recognizable health consequences.